In the early stages of the pandemic we held hope that there was a possibility that, like some other advanced nations such as South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, our government and our people would come together to mostly contain the virus without very large or lasting costs. Now, however, the U.S. leads the world in […]
With the major indexes now in a bear market as the coronavirus has developed into a “Black Swan” event—a major unforeseen risk—the question on most people’s minds is whether markets have hit the bottom or have further to fall. Though it is too soon to tell whether we have reached an actual bottom, there are […]
Such a sharp decline in the market as we have seen over the last several weeks proves, as one commentator put it, why IQ will only get you so far in investing. During times of panic, investing is more about temperament and psychology than it is about intellect. You need to be able to stay […]
As the chart below demonstrates, the stock market over the long term is an amazing wealth-generating machine. But the cost of reaping its benefits over the long term is staying the course through a agonizing times of worry and panic, the vast majority of which will not end up having a lasting impact. Currently the […]
Last week the coronavirus was looking more contained. Economic numbers were strong, and the market was pricing in the widespread perception that any economic impact from the virus would be offset by policy makers both at home and abroad who would act fast to provide as much stimulus as needed. All of that changed yesterday […]
Stocks began the week with a 300+ point rally for the Dow index, rebounding from last weeks 2.5% decline, which was triggered by worries about the spread of the coronavirus in China and beyond. For the year so far, the major indexes are now mostly flat with Treasury yields slipping under 1.80%, from 1.92% at […]
At the beginning of the year with lots of headwinds facing stocks and the bull market entering its 11th year, not even the most optimistic market watchers would have predicted a year as strong as 2019, when nearly every asset class was up strongly. It was a sharp contrast to 2018 when nearly everything was […]
At the close on Friday the market capped off a remarkably strong week heading into the end of the year with all three major indexes around record highs, up six out of the last seven sessions. Before you pop open the champagne in celebration, though, it’s a good idea to get a little perspective by […]
The major indexes were mostly flat for the week after recovering from a pullback earlier in the week. Perhaps the biggest development was the fact that the market, for once, was not driven by expectations about the outcome of a trade deal with China. In fact, the prospects of the trade deal looked particularly grim […]
Despite the trade war with China heating up again unexpectedly and the market pulling back slightly last week, it is a good opportunity to stop and reflect that is has been a remarkably strong year in the market. Nearly every sector rose in the double digits and nearly every asset class has been solidly positive […]
